Process of imitating type-writing by printing.



APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1917.

Patentefi Dec. 24,1918.

snnvmON. n. c.

EDMUND KIRKBRIDE, OE CAMDEN, NEN JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HIMSELF AND ONE-HALF TO CHARLES P. HALYBURTON, 0F CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed May 9, 1917. Serial No. 167,540.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND KIRKBRIDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at 104 N. Sixth street, Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Imitating Type-VVriting by Printing, of which the following is a specification.

One purpose of my invention is to pro vide for concurrent use of two ribbons upon printing presses used in imitating typewrit- 111g.

Another purpose of my invention is to progressively moisten an ink ribbon which is placed between printing type and the paper upon which the impression of the type is to be placed in imitation of typewriting, in order to give a press-copied appearance to the resultant printing.

A further purpose is to interpose a dampening ribbon between the type and an ink ribbon in the imitation of typewritten letters.

A further purpose is to dampen a ribbon used in printing imitation typewritten letters.

A further purpose is to progress two ribbons, which may be of the same or different character, between printing type and the paper upon which the impression is to be made, giving a less sharply defined impression upon the paper by reason of the additional thickness, thus more accurately matching the typing of some machines upon which filling in is to be done.

My invention relates to the processes involved, the mechanism by which the processes are carried out being described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 167 ,539 for attachment for printing imitation typewritten letters.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by but two forms thereof, selecting forms which are practical and efficient and which at the same time well illustrate the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing a preferred form of applying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the grippers and ribbon holding mechanism carried thereby, utilized in the preferred form of the in vention.

Fig. 3 is a section taken through Fig. 2, upon the line 3-3 thereof, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary elevation showing one of the pawls utilized in progressing my ribbon.

Fig. 5 is a section corresponding to Fig. 3 but showing a modification.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate corresponding parts.

I have found that the imitation of type written letters is more effective where the appearance of press copying is given and that this effect can be produced to different degrees by moistening the ink ribbon by a moistening agent separate from the inked type, the best results requiring that the moistening be substantially uniform over the entire ribbon surface through which the type is printing and be impressed coin-cidently with the printing. I find that the best way of securing the moistening of the ribbon is by utilizing a second ribbon, between the ink ribbon and the type, which second ribbon is uniformly moistened, giving the combined results of less distinct type impression upon the paper and the running of the color at the edges of the type impression as in press copy work.

I have further found that the sharpness of impression of the type may be varied with the same weight of ink printing ribbon by interposing a second ribbon, whether printing or otherwise, between the ink ribbon and the printing type, producing the effect of approximately doubling the ribbon thickness and offering greater cushioning effect as well as longer ribbon life. My invention is capable of carrying out these several functions, printing through a moistened ribbon and giving the additional thickness of ribbon with or without the moistening effect. I believe that I am the first to use a double ribbon and the first to use a mois- 11, which engages roller 12 upon arm 13;

These parts and the gripper cam 1 1 are in tended to be conventionally shown and to represent any one of a number of job presses now on the market and to which my invention can readily be applied.

In place of the usual grippers and in the same location and actuated in the same way, I place extended grippers which are shown as forwardly turned at the top at 16 and rearwardly turned at the bottom at 17 to conveniently support spools 18, 19, 20 and 21 upon which in my preferred form are Wound two separate ribbons, one passing from spool 18 to spool 21 and the other from I spool 19 to spool 20. The spools are mounted upon shafts 22, 23, 24:, 25 which turn in bearings 26.

In my preferred construction one of each of these pairs of spools winds upon and releases from its lower face, as seen at 19 and 20, and the other to and from its upper face as seen at 18 and 21. Both of the ribbons 27 and 28 pass over one roller as at 29 and under another roller, as at 30, whereby the two ribbons are given uniform position, however full or empty the respective spools may be.

By the construction indicated the reversal of direction of rotation of adjoining spools obtained by connecting them through gears 31, 32, 33 and 34C secures the same direction of movement of the ribbons and, with equal initial filling of the spools and approXi mately equal weight of the ribbons will give substantially identical rates of speed, whereby the two ribbons are capable of being fed in either direction lengthwise of the gripper bars and at the same speed. It will be obvi ous that the spools can be exchanged to wind always toward the top or bottom, where it is desired to supply feed mechanism at one end only.

It is my purpose to use an ink ribbon for one of the ribbons, shown at the left in Fig. 1, and at the right in Fig. 3 and wound upon spools 18 and 21. The other ribbon, wound on spools 19 and 20 is preferably made a dampening ribbon for the purpose of moistening the ink ribbon progressively as the two ribbons shift together. 7

In order to feed the ribbons I provide ratchet, pawl, and latch mechanism, preferably a separate equipment, at each end of Where separate mechanism isthe grippers. used for reversed directions of feed, the latches at one end are thrown out of use when those at the other end are in operation. The ratchets 35 and 36 are operatively connected to spools 18 and 21 and are engaged alternately, with reversals of direction of feed, by latches 37, 38. The swinging of the grippers brings the ratchets into operative contact with suitably mounted pawls 39, 40, of which one is thrown out of position while the other is effective.

In Fig. 5, I have shown one mechanism for supporting two dry ribbons between the paper and printing type. As illustrated it is intended to correspond with the form in Figs. 1 to 3 except that the rolls, bearings and gearing for the second ribbon are omitted. The ribbon may be fed in the same way as the ink ribbon in, Figs. 1 to 3. With this form the additional thickness obtained softens the impressions of the type.

While my process of printing through a moistened ribbon, and the mechanism therefor, whether using one ribbon or more than one ribbon, andmy process of and mechanism for reducing the sharpness of impressions printed through ribbon by inter-posing an additional ribbon between the printing type and paper, find their convenient and effective expression in the forms illustrated, it will be obvious that these processes can be carried out by other mechanism, in part even by hand, and that the character of the mechanism can be varied greatly within the scope of my claims. 7

In operation, with my preferred form, the second ribbon is moistened and is mounted so as to lie between the printing ribbon and the printing type; the proper latchand pawl are arranged for the desired direction of rib bon feed, and the press is started in operation. No change need be made in the printing press as its inking mechanism may be operated continuously, printing however upon the moistening ribbon. The other parts of the press will function in the same Way as before. The ink printing ribbon 7 may be moistened to any desired extent, depending upon the extent of moistening of the extra ribbon and distributing the moistureat the back of the printing ribbon in exact agreement with the characters printed by the face of the printing ribbon. The resultant printing has a press copy appearance which is accentuated by the additional thickness of ribbon used.

My invention is quickly and cheaply ap plied to the printing press. With the mechanism illustrated it requires no change in the press itself other than the substitution of different grippers, and when the ribbons are removed, may remain in place while other work is done. Various other forms than those presented may also be used with at least part of the benefits of my invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim'as new and desire to'secure by Letters Patent is r 1. The process of imitating typewriting by printing which consists in impressing type upon paper through an inking ribbon and at the same time and point applying to the ribbon a moistening medium differing from the ink.

2. The process of imitating typewriting by printing which consists in simultaneously moistening and printing from the same portion of the length of an ink ribbon while protecting the rinting ribbon from contact with the type iaces.

3. The process of imitating typewriting by printing which consists in interposing a moistening agent between the inked printing ribbon and inked type.

i. The process of imitating typewriting by printing which consists in interposing two ribbons of diiferent moisture content between the type and the sheet to be printed and printing through both of them.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 5. The process of imitating typewriting by printing, which consists in providing two ribbons at the inking point, one of which is provided with an excess of moisture to produce blurring and the other of which is an ink printing ribbon.

6. The process of imitating typewriting by printing which consists in concurrently feeding two ribbons past the printing point, one of which is inked and the other moistened and printing through both ribbons, causing the ribbons to come into contact during the printing act.

EDMUND KIBKBRIDE.

Witnesses:

J. LUTHERIA KAUFFMAN, GERTRUDE BADER.

Commissioner of ratenta,

Washington, D. c." 

